So Sad

     Perhaps you've noticed, times are changing. Those good OLD days, in many ways, are gone.
     Being a lifelong media person I, the Kornerman, recalls, with pride, how, in both my radio and newspaper career, we were pleased to be able to "serve the good" in many ways at minimal, if any, financial cost.
     In those earlier days, everyone in the Boone area gathered around KWBG at 11 a.m. for Signe Shaler's local news, sponsored by Wester Furniture and featuring complete details of all the latest area deaths, their survivors and funeral details. Remember?
    That was followed up by the daily News Republican with even more obituary details, including a picture of the deceased.
    No more!
    Now, obituaries in both outlets are sketchy if at all.
    I assume the cost involved is the main reason for the decline. A lady at KWBG told me the cost for airing a death name plus just the funeral notice would require a $40 outlay. However, those facts are aired several times prior to a funeral date and they do appear on the KWBG website. At the News Republican, a gentleman said the cost for an obituary would be $14.40 per column inch with an unlimited number of details up to the consumer. The more details, the more inches, the more cost.
    Now let's be clear. We all understand that all costs have skyrocketed in recent years and, I guess, you can't condemn media outlets for trying to keep pace. They have to. Our local media are under the control of outside ownership.......and the locals do what they have to do, like it or not.
    The Kornerman's entire point here is that, its just a sad, sad situation and a strong case could be made that those OLD days were, in many ways, much better than today.
     Maybe I'm just a bit jealous. As are viewers know, the Kornerman takes great pride in displaying all the death notices we can accumulate even with a few added details AND at NO cost.
     Funeral service notices? Now you're really asking for an added favor.
K-----K
     The Kornerman mentioned in the last edition a mystery the Korner was confronted with. We have some additional material now submitted by Pam Claussen of Marshalltown who had sent us the original note with some pictures of a business place.
     Pam said she grew up in Ogden, moved to California at age 18 and returned to Ogden in 1975. "Boone was a stomping ground off and on until I moved to Marshalltown in 2000."
     She's related to some familiar Ogden names. Her great uncle, Walter Claussen, owned and operated a Texaco service station until his son, Warren, who still resides in Ogden, took over.
     This mystery started when Pam sent the Korner some material, including some pictures, from her late grandmother's personal belongings. The grandparents were Peter Carl Claussen and Alice Charlotte-Peterson-Claussen, both deceased.
     Pam wrote, "I'm clueless as to who the people in the photos are." She also has no knowledge of what appears to be a Coney Island restaurant that is evident in the pictures.
    Pam wonders, "do they look like an entrance to a Coney Island cafe that was in Boone?"
    The pictures seem to be from the 1920's or 30's and, of course, there were several Boone Coney Island cafes in Boone's history operated by the Kokanakis and/or Douroumes families.
    Does anyone know of any other Coney Island restaurants in Boone or any in Ogden?
K-----K
    Thanks to Gary Knox the Kornerman received our chuckle for the day.
    In a recent edition, we had mentioned that Nick Collison, who just completed his 13th year in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, had just concluded his final contract with the Thunder.
    Here was a superior two-time high school all-state basketball player who became an All-American on at least one Kansas University team that earned a final four berth and a longtime NBA player who Gary recalled was "de-pantsed" all the way to his ankles in a high school basketball game.
    It occurred in his senior high school season, 1999, while a member of the Iowa Falls Cadets who went on to their second straight state championship.
    Iowa Falls romped to a 66-11 halftime advantage over Clarion-Goldfield. The final score was 116 to 30. Apparently one Clarion-Goldfield player had "had it" with the Cadets complete domination. Yes, he grabbed on to  Collison's pants and dropped them all the way to the floor in an apparent act of revenge.
    Collison was quoted as saying, "they were 0-16 for the season and had to do something to gain some attention I guess. It was just plain stupid."
K-----K
    Thanks to Marge Harvey, BHS-50, for informing the Korner of the death of a classmate, Tom Fangman. Tom, 84, passed in late April in Illinois. His wife, Ruth, preceded him in death. A son and daughter survive as do his brothers, Bob and Jim, and sister, Beth. A brother, Charles, and sister, Miriam, are also deceased.
    Tom's parents, Mr and Mrs Cy Fangman, owned and operated the Rialto theatre in Boone for many years.
     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Roscoe Bruner, 85, Des Moines. Boone area survivor is a daughter, Chris Oetker, of Boone..........Marjorie Parlee, 89, Des Moines. Born in Madrid.........David Burlage, 64, Madrid. A Madrid resident the past 10 years. Boone area survivors include his wife, Beth, and daughter, Katie Bass, both of Madrid.........Karen Adair, 73, Boone.........Donald Gabrielson, 88, Stratford.............Gary McLeod, 73, Boone. BHS-61. Viet Nam vet. Worked for Rolfes and Idea Press/Home Office. Boone area survivor is his wife, Jerilyn. He is also survived by a son, Matt McLeod, a daughter, Amy Miller, and two sisters, Donna Carlson and Mary Jo Newbold.........Jean Iben, 81, Boone. A homemaker. Husband, Roy, is deceased. Eleven children survive.........Dorothy Webber, 92, Ogden. A teacher in Burlington and then Ogden. Husband Kenneth is deceased. Dorothy is survived by two daughters.
K-----K
     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 710 Aldrich, Boone, Iowa 50036-4703. Phone number is 515-432-1530. To email your stories/memories/comments/SUPPORT........
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.